GDT: Game 50: Anaheim Ducks vs San Jose Sharks, 7:30 PT, BSSC (Last game before bye week)

[The Midnight Burrito]

I think the Ducks owe it to Silf to ask him what he wants. Like you, I think he's worth more to the Ducks over the last couple months of the season than whatever low round pick. But this might be his last job in the NHL - if he wants to go to a Cup contender, I think the organization should oblige him.

My gut feeling (totally speculative) is that he would stay. And I'm happy to have him play out the string here.

Yeah that'd be fine with me but it would still suck to lose him and the return as such wouldn't be worth it.

 

[Ducksforcup]

Yeah I feel like the return for SIlf wouldn't really be worth it.

I kind of like Jahv's idea of asking him what his preference is and go with whatever that is. He has earned that right.

 

[Ducks]

I don’t think they will trade Silfverberg. I don’t know if he has shown any interest to go to a cup competing team for the last few months of his NHL career.

He’s going to go back to Sweden and play there next year.

I think Verbeek gives him the option to stay and finish his career with Anaheim. He’s earned that.

John

I think that's a nicer way of saying that he's untradeable. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he cleared waivers at the deadline. He's been cooked for years.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I would not trade Vatrano, the passion he shows is something you need on the team.

I'm in different with keeping or trading Vatrano. The team needs vets and I love his attitude on the ice, can chirp and more. OTOH, he's not that great away from McTavish. I'm happy Frank got a goal last night. It's his first goal away from Mac, but it took 15 games to get there.

Vatrano with Mac: 35 games, 21g + 10a = 33 pts (0.94 ppg rate)
Vatrano without Mac: 15 games, 1g + 4a = 5 pts (0.33 ppg rate)

Injuries will always be a part of the game and Vatrano could likely be back with Mac. But today Mac is not 100% Mac, which is why he got "demoted" to play with Lundy and Silf. The Swedes are doing a lot of the grind work and Mac gets to play facilitator with that pair.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Lundestrom is starting to figure it out, and I think not having to play center and worry about only defense (like he did under Eakins) is really helping him

If he can turn into a responsible 15goal 40 pt guy. That would be amazing

People forget how good a healthy Lundy is at center. Also, not realize Eakins and Silf were a huge part of that growth.

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2020-21 Lundy COVID: 41 games, 6g + 3a = 9 pts

Lundy was transitioned to wing after the start of the season, when he was sent down to the AHL. Coach Dineen did something with Lundy that he looked too good in San Diego's pre-season that he got called backup to Anaheim without playing an AHL regular season game.

While Lundy was playing wing in the NHL for a bit, injuries at center forced Lundy back to center. A Comtois-Lundy-Rakell line was created due to decimating injuries, but that line took off! In 9 games together: Lundy had 2 goals, Rakell had 4 assists, and Comtois cashed in with 5 goals and 4 assists. As players returned from injury, team CLR was disbanded and Lundy played shutdown 3C again.

2021-22 Lundy: 80 games, 16g + 13a = 29 pts

Lundy could have done even better, but Silf contracted COVID and was never the same since. Silf eventually had a blood clot in his leg at the end of the season. Silf had another blood clot last year.

Lundy... w/ and w/o Silf
2021-22	Games	G	A	Pts	PPG
Total	80​	16​	13​	29​	0.36​
Before Silf COVID	9​	1​	6​	7​	0.78​
From 10/31 to 11/11 (No Silf)	6​	2​	1​	3​	0.50​
From 11/11 to 3/6 (with Silf)	43​	10​	5​	15​	0.35​
From 3/12 to 4/29 (no Silf)	22​	3​	1​	4​	0.18​

2022-23 Lundy: 61 games, 4g + 10a = 14 pts

Lundy was injured during pre-season. He never fully recovered as it was evident in his lack of speed. Eakins cited this in a post-game interview. Then he got injured for almost two months in Dec and Jan.

2023-24 Lundy: 14 games, 2g + 2a = 4 pts

Lundy tore his Achilles while training (sprinting) during the summer. In last night's game, he said he's still starting to feel better skating on it.

I don't know why people think that Lundy stopped playing defense when on wing with Mac. It's b/c Lundy and Silf play defense that they're able to transition to offense more often. When Mac centered Vatrano and Strome, there wasn't much defense played there. In the five games Mac has played with Lundy and Silf, he's a +4 rating with 3 assists. In the last five games Mac didn't play with Lundy and Silf, Mac had a -7 rating and 1 goal.

 

[cheesymc]

People forget how good a healthy Lundy is at center. Also, not realize Eakins and Silf were a huge part of that growth.

.
.
.
.
2020-21 Lundy COVID: 41 games, 6g + 3a = 9 pts

Lundy was transitioned to wing after the start of the season, when he was sent down to the AHL. Coach Dineen did something with Lundy that he looked too good in San Diego's pre-season that he got called backup to Anaheim without playing an AHL regular season game.

While Lundy was playing wing in the NHL for a bit, injuries at center forced Lundy back to center. A Comtois-Lundy-Rakell line was created due to decimating injuries, but that line took off! In 9 games together: Lundy had 2 goals, Rakell had 4 assists, and Comtois cashed in with 5 goals and 4 assists. As players returned from injury, team CLR was disbanded and Lundy played shutdown 3C again.

2021-22 Lundy: 80 games, 16g + 13a = 29 pts

Lundy could have done even better, but Silf contracted COVID and was never the same since. Silf eventually had a blood clot in his leg at the end of the season. Silf had another blood clot last year.

Lundy... w/ and w/o Silf
2021-22	Games	G	A	Pts	PPG
Total	80​	16​	13​	29​	0.36​
Before Silf COVID	9​	1​	6​	7​	0.78​
From 10/31 to 11/11 (No Silf)	6​	2​	1​	3​	0.50​
From 11/11 to 3/6 (with Silf)	43​	10​	5​	15​	0.35​
From 3/12 to 4/29 (no Silf)	22​	3​	1​	4​	0.18​

2022-23 Lundy: 61 games, 4g + 10a = 14 pts

Lundy was injured during pre-season. He never fully recovered as it was evident in his lack of speed. Eakins cited this in a post-game interview. Then he got injured for almost two months in Dec and Jan.

2023-24 Lundy: 14 games, 2g + 2a = 4 pts

Lundy tore his Achilles while training (sprinting) during the summer. In last night's game, he said he's still starting to feel better skating on it.

I don't know why people think that Lundy stopped playing defense when on wing with Mac. It's b/c Lundy and Silf play defense that they're able to transition to offense more often. When Mac centered Vatrano and Strome, there wasn't much defense played there. In the five games Mac has played with Lundy and Silf, he's a +4 rating with 3 assists. In the last five games Mac didn't play with Lundy and Silf, Mac had a -7 rating and 1 goal.

His speed that he brings is noticeable and it really puts pressure on defenses and helps keep the puck in the O-zone... and he is good in front of the net for a small guy. We should definitely hold onto him even if his QO is high.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

that's exactly what some of us said about Steve Spott in Vegas. Dirt on DeBoer. I think part of it has to be that GMs and head coaches believe that it's not the PP coach's fault but it's on the players for not executing on what should be sound strategies.

I tracked the team's PP since COVID season. Eakins had to take over the PP duties. That's when I realized that our HC wasn't in charge of the PP unit. During the 2021 off-season, GM Murray said he would be getting Eakins more help. We went from two assistant coaches to three assistant coaches, Ward, Brown, and Stothers. Ward and Brown headed the PP while Stothers controlled the PK and defense.

Ducks	Asst	Coaches
season	PP Rank	PP Eff	Coach		PK Rank	PK Eff	Coach
2020-21	31st (last)	8.94%​	Morrison		16th	79.88%​	Wilford
2021-22	14th	21.92%​	Ward, Brown		10th	80.80%​	Stothers
2022-23	31st	15.72%​	Brown		31st	72.14%​	Stothers
2023-24	21st	17.95%​	Brown		22nd	77.94%​	Thompson

In 2021-22, the PP and PK efficiencies were far better before the TDL. Shutdown D's Lindholm and Manson were traded away, PK specialists/pugilist Des was traded away, and RW Rakell was also traded away at the TDL. Fowler had to take over PK duties and his offense fell hard!

The drop in PP and PK for the 2022-23 season have different reasons. The PP add more talent in D Klingberg, LW Vatrano, RW Strome, and rookie McTavish. Anaheim's PP just was terrible again and the only difference is that Ward left the org for personnel reasons. The PK unit had it's best defensemen traded away at last year's TDL in LD Lindholm and RD Manson; Verbeek never replaced their talent level for the 2022-23 season.

Here's the odd part. Verbeek got rid of Eakins, but didn't get rid of Brown. Stothers is going through cancer and couldn't stay on as a full time coach. Thompson was signed to take over Stother's position. I guess if one can say all the words Verbeek wants to hear, then you stay on (Brown) or get hired (Cronin)?

 

[la patineuse]

Ehhh he will learn

Getzy didn't.

 

[la patineuse]

Good win.

Really liked the game by Lundy. Him McTavish and Silf have been an effective line.

He skates so well and is also strong on the skates so it makes it hard to knock him off the puck or take the it away from him. He's also a smart player and rarely makes mistakes that make you go .

 

[Ducks DVM]

I don't even think the raw stats tell the whole story. It'd be one thing if he was just struggling to produce relative to his expectations. The issue, from where I was sitting, was that he was essentially appointing himself to be the central puck distributor/carrier on any shift he was on the ice which was evident from how often he'd hold onto the puck and try to dance through traffic on his own.

And in doing that he'd either lose the puck by overhandling it or he'd try to force a pass through a clogged lane and turn it over almost every time. And that would be after eight to fifteen seconds of dicking the puck around on his own, passing up on potential chance or cycle options only to have a lot of offensive set plays die on his stick. Like I wasn't tracking his game to game corsi numbers but I'm sure they'd routinely be awful if I went back and looked.

Puck management wasn't a uniquely Terry issue, but given how often he tried to play the hero and do it all himself, it was a noticeable drag on the flow of this team's offense.

Now it looks like he's simplified things a lot and he's given himself better opportunities to produce offense as a result. I mean I was very critical of his play in the first half of the season and I do think the critique was justified, but I'm happy to admit he's made the right adjustments and is playing the right way now. Hopefully it inspires others to make adjustments to their own deficiencies.

I think the issue with Terry is that he was trying to cover/compensate for everyone else’s deficiencies, and it just led to him getting inside his own head and failing. Also, still think the new baby thing was an issue, because his play started elevating on road trips and falling off at home.

He's back to being the best forward and arguably best player on the team, hopefully everyone else can also figure things out sometime this calendar year.

 

[HanSolo]

I think the issue with Terry is that he was trying to cover/compensate for everyone else’s deficiencies, and it just led to him getting inside his own head and failing. Also, still think the new baby thing was an issue, because his play started elevating on road trips and falling off at home.

He's back to being the best forward and arguably best player on the team, hopefully everyone else can also figure things out sometime this calendar year.

Yeah sure. I'm sure both those things are true could be some other factors. I never doubted his ability to play better. It was because I knew he could be better that it was so frustrating.

Now he looks like he's back like you said. I have no qualms about his current play. He still has the odd turnover or misplay but no more than a player of his level.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I think the issue with Terry is that he was trying to cover/compensate for everyone else’s deficiencies, and it just led to him getting inside his own head and failing. Also, still think the new baby thing was an issue, because his play started elevating on road trips and falling off at home.

He's back to being the best forward and arguably best player on the team, hopefully everyone else can also figure things out sometime this calendar year.

I think Terry's back to last year's Terry - still scoring while playing hero puck. Terry needs to stop doing that because he's creating new deficiencies on his own self where plays die often on his stick. If he can just trust Carlsson or Mac like he did Getz, then that's ultimate "All-Star Steel" Terry!

 

[duckaroosky]

Wild Wing in Toronto with the mascots for the All-Star game.

I picture him saying "haha we beat you!"

Don't ask me what the creepy Hurricanes mascot is doing in the background.

 

[Leonardo87]

I think the issue with Terry is that he was trying to cover/compensate for everyone else’s deficiencies, and it just led to him getting inside his own head and failing. Also, still think the new baby thing was an issue, because his play started elevating on road trips and falling off at home.

He's back to being the best forward and arguably best player on the team, hopefully everyone else can also figure things out sometime this calendar year.

Terry getting back to his game is going to get us more wins. I hope Cronin puts that top line back. Terry scored 2 out of His last 3 goals with Rico and Leo on the ice, with broken lines and that 6 on 5. Strome really dragged down Rico and Leo. No shock he got demoted to the 4th line.